Platform / Issues

For specific 'Questions and Answers' from Christopher Geary, click here.

To View CHRISTOPHER N. GEARY for GOVERNOR 2010 QUESTIONNAIRE, click here.

This page lays out my positions on issues of concern to Nebraskans. My most important duty as Governor is to pay attention to your concerns; to listen closely to your concerns, so that I may represent your interests. I will have a strong voice in how your hard-earned tax dollars are spent. I know what struggles we are facing as Nebraskans. When you vote for me we will send a message to Lincoln that “politics as usual” is not acceptable.

In order to change Lincoln we must be honest. For too long we have been told one thing and have seen another. I have chosen to be honest and layout my positions clearly on this page. I will make things better by granting increased freedom to individual citizens while putting more restrictions on government spending. With your help we will restore the public’s trust and confidence in our state government. I give you my oath that I will do everything in my power to provide for a more prosperous Nebraska with an efficient, effective government. I do this because I care about our people and our family’s future.

Though I am running for governor of Nebraska and these are federal issues currently being decided in Washington, I would like to express my thoughts on these subjects.

Health Care in America

Larger government is not the answer. We all know this. This is especially true when we talk about health care. We, as Americans, have the best health care in the world. The major reason for this is good old fashioned marketplace competition. Pharmaceutical companies are constantly finding miracle medications because of research brought by market demand. Quality health care is driven by our ability to pick our providers. If a provider is not “making the grade” then he or she isn’t “making the dough”. When government changes this formula we all loose.

If I had my choice, government would stay away from the marketplace. However, that would ignore the problem we now have with health care. An entire segment of hard-working Americans can not obtain health care coverage.  Some of these people work more than one job and still do not have health care coverage. The high cost of health care is a burden for individuals, families and for small businesses seeking to insure their employees.

Many businesses are struggling to make ends meet. I believe, if there is any way that government can help, it is by providing incentives to businesses that provide health care benefits for employees. This is especially true for small business. This approach keeps our health care choices intact. It helps provide health care for the working class, and those that are under-insured now. This wouldn’t be a government hand out, but help for those that are working for a living. This would allow hard working Americans the ability to choose their health care.

Cap and Trade

The “Cap and Trade” is an issue being worked on in Washington. The outcome of this legislative bill will effect all Americans. As a candidate for Governor of Nebraska, I do not agree with or support the “Cap and Trade” as currently presented in Washington.

Past attempts at a “Cap and Trade” have not succeeded. It amounts to nothing more than an energy tax on the American citizens. A family's energy bill could increase by hundreds perhaps even thousands of dollars a year. Cap and Trade does not stop companies from emitting excessive greenhouse gases because they can simply buy carbon allowances from other businesses that do not emit as much as they do. Small businesses will not be able to afford the increase in utility bills from the Cap and Trade, they will have to lay off employees and/or simply not hire as they normally would do. Companies forced to buy the carbon allowances may have to use internal resources to purchase the credits causing a possible need to cut back on employment. Or these companies may be forced to cut back on production decreasing their carbon emissions, causing the companies to lay off employees.

The "T", Columbus, June 13, 2009

Economy

Nebraska’s economic future depends on finding ways to attract new industrial development so that we can increase the number of jobs available to Nebraskans. I want to build a more prosperous economy in which everybody who wants to work will be able to find a job. I will work hard to attract new industrial development and provide economic incentives for companies that are thinking about establishing offices and factories in our state. As well as existing companies that are taking steps to expand their operations and create new jobs.

I want to attract different types of businesses so people will have a reason to stay in Nebraska instead of moving out of state to pursue more promising career opportunities elsewhere. Focusing on energy innovation and energy independence in Nebraska will also attract new investment and create more jobs. Instead of outsourcing our manufacturing jobs to countries with lower environmental standards, more eco-friendly industries need to be brought to Nebraska.

Education

I will provide careful, thoughtful guidance to resolve educational issues in the state. While I will work to increase educational opportunities and address achievement gap issues, I also believe there is no substitute for good old, fashioned parenting. As a teacher for 15 years, I understand the need for parents to be personally involved with their children. Without a strong foundation at home, no child, whether residing in the inner city or suburb, has any chance of succeeding. My goal is to carefully balance opportunity and reality with an already overburdened tax system. 

In the years to come, our ability to endure difficulties, solve problems, and achieve victory over life’s challenges will depend on the opportunities that are available to the next generation. In my opinion, Nebraska’s college savings program is an excellent way to invest in the future by easing the financial burden of higher education on parents and students. Caring for our children means doing everything in our power to help them live up to their full potential. In a spirit of renewed optimism, I believe that the greatest generation may be yet to come.

With Angela Slack before her promotion to postmaster of
Syracuse Nebraska. October 2, 2009

Children (both born and unborn)

Unlike some politicians who try to pretend they support both sides of this controversial issue, I am willing to openly state that I am pro-life. It is a calling on my conscience to let you know where I stand on abortion. I believe that if two people conceive a child that they cannot raise, adoption is the responsible choice.
 
I believe that we must provide help to people who have or will have unwanted children. We need to make it perfectly clear that there are people who want their children. This extends from birth to adulthood. Adoption is the right choice.
 
We also need to address our foster care system. It is broken. The debacle of the safe haven law shows this. We saw people from all over the country asking for help by using a “loophole” in the law. So what was our answer? Did we help more children? No, we fixed the loop hole. We need to provide the help that Nebraska’s families need.

Nebraskans with Disabilities

During my run for governor, I have received many e-mails describing the hardships faced by families who are dealing with disabilities. I find it hard to believe that the government spends billions of dollars on war overseas when we can’t even help the people in our own country who have special needs. Parents of disabled children in Nebraska are losing their houses, vehicles, and their ability to take certain kinds of jobs. The challenges of dealing with a disability can take down even the strongest of individuals and families.

Many years ago the Nebraska Legislature promised to help Nebraskans with developmental disabilities get needed disability services from the state. Most of these families and individuals are still waiting to receive any kind of help. Soon after legislation was passed, the families started hearing from the legislature that the money wasn’t stretching far enough to help these individuals. As a result, there is an ever-increasing "waiting list" of individuals who desperately need services but are not receiving any. In 1994 about 650 people needed help. Now there are about 1,426 people on that list. In 1991 a target date for clearing off the list was 1994. It was moved to 1996, then 2000, and now it is set for 2010. Currently the state is in jeopardy of missing the 2010 date. Bill LR 156 was introduced by Senator Johnson for the purpose of reexamining this situation, which for many individuals has become a serious crisis. Strategic planning must be done immediately to reduce the number of people on this list.

On October 5, 2007 the Nebraska Legislature held a hearing on this issue, and families and professionals from across the state were able to share their concerns. Many families in Nebraska need services for their family members. They are not asking for expensive services for their disabled family member, just basic ones like help finding a job so they can become taxpayers. They could live in apartments on their own with only a few hours a day of help, but none is available. They need help with residential rehabilitation so they can become independent and learn to do daily living activities on their own. If these individuals are forced to live at home with elderly parents who can barely care for them, it greatly limits their future potential for independence. They can learn and acquire many more skills if helped a bit.

Christopher N. Geary with some supporters, Broken Bow, May 28, 2009

Support for Elderly Nebraskans

Recently I spoke with a woman in her 80s who was preparing to sell her house and move into an assisted living facility. She told me the cost of assisted living would be $3,000 per month so she was hoping she would die before her funds ran out. I also know of an elderly couple where the husband and wife were forced to live in separate facilities because of varying needs for care. This 90-year-old man has to drive to the other side of Omaha every day just to spend time with his wife.

In my opinion, we need to find ways to help Nebraska’s seniors stay in their own homes, living in dignity for as long as possible. The Homestead Exemption (property tax relief for low-income seniors) is a good start, although some eligible Nebraskans still are unaware of this program. We could also set up programs to provide low-cost home visits from healthcare workers and housekeepers. Protecting the health and welfare of Nebraskans of all ages, from infants to their great-grandparents, should be a top priority.

Agriculture and Rural Policy

A strong agricultural economy is the base of our society. Working together, we can bring balance to farm policies and advance innovations that will help rejuvenate our agriculture system creating more prosperous communities.

Agriculture is essential to our state and the nation, and must remain productive, profitable, and sustainable. Each of us depends on the vital farm sector to provide food. We also look to agriculture for renewable energy sources, the open lands that maintain scenic vistas, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat.

Many farmers and ranchers don’t benefit from current farm policies speeding up the disappearance of family farms. Rural communities are losing population and suffering from a lack of job growth. These rural communities are the backbone of our agriculture system. Agriculture-dependent counties steadily lose population due to a lack of employment opportunities, causing these communities to lose talent in the form of possible teachers, farmers and business leaders.

To ensure a practical agricultural system for generations to come, we must retain and attract rural residents, tackle the causes of rural poverty, and address the continuing and growing economic inequality between rural and urban areas. Agriculture policies needs to focus on rural development that promote entrepreneurship, in the agriculture and non-agriculture sectors, and build individual and community assets.

Arbor Lodge Mansion, Nebraska City, June 6, 2009

Environment

Experts estimate that the Earth is about 4.5 billion years old. It has been through many transformations during that time. It took almost a billion years of rain to create a vast green ocean that once covered our entire planet. The first continental formation of land made of granite appeared as South Africa. One of the most recent steps in the process was the formation of the ozone layer, which allowed life to leave the oceans and come onto land for the first time.

And then comes man, and in just a blink of an eye in the history of the planet, we have managed to kill off entire species of animals, pollute the environment, and damage our precious ozone layer. There is so much pollution in the air today that the Statue of Liberty loses a pound of copper per year from erosion. In 10,000 years, the human species has cut down nearly half of the world’s forests. But if there were no humans to keep cutting them down, in 500 years these trees would grow back.

We need to recognize the serious threats posed by global warming, and we need to take action to reverse this trend. If the solar ice caps keep melting at their current rate in Greenland and Antarctica, by the end of this century the sea levels could rise by 20 feet. Rising sea levels will slowly begin to destroy many coastal cities throughout the world.

Rather than protecting the environment, however, we have elected greedy politicians who protect their own incomes by promoting short-sighted policies that reflect the agendas of industry lobbyists. For example, did you know that 17 billion dollars in government subsidies (your tax dollars) have been channeled to the ethanol industry? Producing ethanol from corn requires burning coal, which results in emissions that pollute the atmosphere. Ethanol burns faster in cars than gasoline does, which means our gas doesn’t last as long and we end up spending more money at the pump. Ethanol is not the solution to our dependence on foreign oil. I did some research and just to give you an idea, if we used every single ear of corn in the entire United States to produce ethanol, it would make us 7% less reliant on foreign energy but at the same time we would be burning 29% more per year in fossil fuels just to produce the ethanol. It is time to rethink past decisions and look for innovative solutions.

Instead of wasting our tax dollars on policies that make things worse, we need to commission a team of environmental experts to develop ways to clean up our environment for the benefit of generations yet to come. We need to develop inventive ways to produce bio fuels and to harness renewable resources like solar, wind, and geothermal power. Having more options will give us a better outcome now and in the future.

We need to stop paying attention to industry-funded “experts” who provide misleading information designed to lull us into a false sense of security. Our nation needs to take a leadership role in cleaning up the current global mess and building a better future.

Article on the environment: Smog rule tightened; 345 counties fail

Field Club of Omaha, June 21, 2009

Capital Punishment

I oppose the death penalty for three reasons: (1) there is always a risk that some people will be put to death for crimes they did not commit; (2) I believe the death penalty is unfair because it discriminates against certain groups of people (have you ever heard of a rich man receiving the death penalty?); and (3) I believe that life imprisonment is a more appropriate punishment than the death penalty because it gives people a longer period of time to regret what they have done.

Throughout the United States, people have been sent to prison and some have been executed because of incompetent defense attorneys or police going outside of bounds with their interrogation tactics and getting false confessions. I believe that police departments should be required by law to create a video whenever someone is questioned by the police. Later, the video may be played in court for any reason. These videos may also be used in the future to help police solve crimes involving someone who was questioned earlier and cannot be found years down the road or is deceased.

There is plenty of evidence of cases involving wrongful convictions. As of February 14, 2008, at least 212 falsely accused prisoners in the United States have been exonerated. Fifteen of these persons were on death row. These innocent people were cleared on the basis of DNA evidence, and 77% had been falsely convicted because of mistaken identity. These numbers may not seem huge, but I believe that one falsely accused and innocent individual is one too many. Also, there may be many additional people who are innocent of the crimes for which they were imprisoned. Currently there are 28 states that do not have laws designed to secure crime scene evidence. Only 22 states give compensation to those who have been wrongfully accused, and in the states that do offer compensation I understand that the process requires a mountain of paperwork. Even if you are exonerated, the conviction stays on your record, so finding a job and readjusting to life outside the prison walls can be very hard.

For those who have committed murder, Nebraska has the death penalty and offers life without parole as a sentencing option. I believe that life imprisonment without parole should be given to all who take the life of another human being. There is a list of aggravating and mitigating circumstances currently used to determine whether an individual receives life without parole. I believe even if there are certain aggravating or mitigating circumstances, the sentence should be "life without parole" to the maximum extent permitted under the constitution. In my opinion, convicted murderers should be put to work, not put to death. If prisoners are forced to work without pay, their unpaid labor will pay for their support so the burden to taxpayers is nonexistent. Under life imprisonment, convicted criminals would have to think about the effects of their crime during every waking moment for the rest of their existence. When you think about it, life imprisonment can be a tougher punishment than execution. Being against the death penalty does not mean being soft on crime. In response to those who support the death penalty, I would like to ask this question: What would Jesus do? Would he support the death penalty or oppose it? It's definitely something to think about.

For a discussion of Nebraska's laws concerning this issue, click here: The Meaning of Life.

Immigration

I believe hard-working people who want to become citizens of our country should have the ability to do so, but I would like to see them come in through the front door instead of climbing over the back fence. We need comprehensive immigration reform that respects our immigrant heritage and honors the rule of law. To prevent undocumented immigrants from entering the country illegally, our top priority should be to reinforce the security of our borders. We need to support the work of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a federal agency that employs 42,000 people to protect our borders and shorelines. CBP agents arrest an average of 62 persons each day at ports of entry and apprehend more than 3200 people daily for illegal entry between ports.

I believe there are three main problems with illegal immigration. First, it contributes to drug trafficking in the U.S. About half the drugs that enter our country come in through Mexico. Along with the drugs come criminals and people infected with diseases such as HIV and hepatitis, placing heavy burdens on our law enforcement and health care systems.

Second, illegal immigration endangers people’s lives. Illegal immigrants and their innocent children put their own lives at risk when they attempt to pass through a hot desert without enough water or food. CBP rescues an average of 7 illegal crossers per day, but many others end up dying of dehydration and other causes related to hazardous conditions. The lives of illegal crossers are also endangered by drug dealers who use them as a distraction to get drugs across the border. And as mentioned above, there is the criminal element. We have to face the fact that some illegal immigrants are thieves and murderers who threaten the security of law-abiding citizens. CBP uses fingerprint screening to identify and arrest 45 criminals per day, preventing them from entering the U.S.

Third, there are many economic reasons to secure our borders. People have told me it is harder than ever for U.S. citizens to find a job these days because companies prefer to hire illegal immigrants who will accept less than the minimum wage and not demand health insurance. A strain is put on the health care system by illegals, who generally use emergency rooms for their health care since by law they cannot be turned away. In my opinion, we need stricter penalties, stiffer fines, and better enforcement against companies (and even their CEOs) that hire illegal immigrants. A more effective verification system would go a long way to help end discrimination and abuse by employers. I oppose so-called “guest worker” programs because they create a supply of cheap labor that undermines the wages of U.S. workers. In my opinion, all workers deserve safe working conditions and decent wages.

I oppose allowing undocumented aliens to get driver’s licenses (a proposal that has been supported by some presidential candidates), because I believe that it would motivate people to come over and send a message that it is okay to break the law.

I believe in baring illegal aliens from receiving social services. They do not pay for these citizen-funded programs and therefore should not receive benefits.

Safety and Health

I support penalties for people who use cell phones while driving, because their inattention makes them a hazard to themselves, their passengers (including young children), and other drivers. At a minimum, drivers should be required to use hands-free equipment if they want to conduct phone conversations while driving. I also support creating more speed bumps on roads in residential neighborhoods. When I have been out in the neighborhoods talking with homeowners, I have witnessed teenage drivers breaking the speed limit on residential streets. These drivers create a safety risk for children who are playing and people who are out walking their dogs. Putting in more speed bumps will save lives by forcing these reckless drivers to slow down to a more reasonable speed.

Because of the health risks of secondhand smoke, I also support penalties for people who smoke in cars where children are present. However, I believe restaurants that install effective ventilation systems should be able to permit customers to smoke instead of banning smoking altogether. Prohibitions on smoking can cause restaurants to become unprofitable and eventually close their doors, which ends up reducing Nebraska’s tax base and increasing unemployment.

Regarding the issue of gun control, I support the Second Amendment to the Constitution, which upholds the right of U.S. citizens to bear arms. I also support Nebraska’s Concealed Handgun Act, which grants Nebraskans the right to obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun in order to defend themselves and their loved ones against armed attackers. The fees charged for handgun permits represent a valuable source of income for the State of Nebraska. However, I understand both sides of this issue. Although I support gun ownership, I believe precautions should be taken to reduce accidental injuries and fatalities from gunshot wounds. For example, gun owners need to make sure their weapons are properly secured in locked cabinets to keep them out of the hands of children. To me, this issue is similar to drunk driving. Fatalities from drunk driving are on the rise (up 2.4% in 2006 as compared with 2005), but the answer is not to re-enact the Prohibition Laws of the 1920s. Instead, we need to enforce tougher penalties against repeat DUI offenders. In the hands of responsible people, guns and alcohol are not a problem. They only become a problem when they are used irresponsibly.

One of the common difficulties faced by many Nebraskans is the rising cost of health care. Currently 47 million Americans are not covered by any type of health insurance plan. Health insurance needs to be made more affordable. With an annual inflation rate of 22% for health care services, who can afford to pay out of pocket for health care? We need to look for solutions to the health care crisis so that people are not forced to choose between buying groceries and paying for prescriptions. When uninsured people must go to the emergency room for health care because that’s the only place where they will not be turned away, everyone pays. John F. Kennedy said, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich,” Clearly our health care system is broken and it needs to be fixed. In the near future policies will be made at the federal level, and they will affect people in every state including Nebraska. Maintaining freedom of a patient to choose their own doctor has been a "hot button" for this issue. I personally disagree with Hillary Clinton's Universal Health Care proposal because she wanted to pass a law that would lock patients into seeing certain doctors. If a doctor had a professional relationship with a patient outside her plan (i.e., if the patient decided to pay out of pocket to see a certain doctor), then the doctor would pay a heavy fine. That plan doesn't sound much like liberty to me, but at least Mrs. Clinton is making people think and talk about this issue, and that is what's important. We need to find a common ground to deal with this very serious problem in our country. I believe there are no unsolvable problems, and we can find solutions by working together.

~ Christopher N. Geary

If you would like to be put on an e-mail list to receive updates to this platform or to this site and to be contacted if there is a meet-and-greet somewhere, please send an e-mail to Christopher N. Geary at: christophergeary@gmail.com (All notifications will be sent BCC so that your e-mail address will remain private.)